OAKLAND — Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price’s top lieutenant, who was one of the first people she hired to help reshape the East Bay’s justice system, has resigned from her office, Price announced Tuesday.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Otis Bruce Jr.’s last day will be July 13. In an internal email to staff, Price praised Bruce for having “worked tirelessly” to help her settle into the job as Alameda County’s top prosecutor.
Price confirmed his departure at a press conference Tuesday, where she also announced the creation of two new divisions within her office, along with progress on a sprawling review into whether prosecutors who worked for previous administrations intentionally kept Black and Jewish people off juries in death penalty cases.
Bruce’s resignation comes nearly a year and a half into a tenure that was rocked last year with allegations that he fostered a toxic workplace and sexually harassed colleagues at his previous post at the Marin County District Attorney’s Office.
While working as the second-highest-ranking prosecutor there, Bruce was accused by at least eight deputy district attorneys of routinely manipulating and intimidating other prosecutors — often young women — while allegedly showing gender bias and making inappropriate and disparaging remarks.
He was placed on administrative leave in September 2022, and remained there until his retirement from the office at the end of December 2022, days before he began working for Price.
A subsequent report in early 2023 found that Bruce violated 17 personnel regulations over the span of several years. The results of the inquiry — led by an outside firm hired by Marin County — became public in July 2023, when the Marin Independent Journal obtained copies of the report.
Price went on to defend Bruce, calling the 55-page document into his alleged misconduct “false,” and criticizing Marin officials for seeking to “impeach his character and publicly humiliate this dedicated public servant.”
At a press conference Tuesday, Price lauded Bruce while framing his resignation as “a great opportunity for others who have been long time prosecutors in this office to prosper.” Her internal email went on to praise him as a “tremendous” asset who was a vital member of her “transition team.”
“We had a great experience with him,” Price said. “The impact on the office is such that it will continue to grow.”
Bruce’s departure was first reported by The Berkeley Scanner. In the wake of Bruce’s departure, prosecutor Evanthia Pappas will be taking over as head of Price’s prosecution division, the district attorney said Tuesday.
Check back for updates to this developing story.
